[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son":3,"chapter-reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-chapter-344":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Reincarnated As The Villainess's Son",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1366093,1806,"Chapter 344  [Hot Springs] [2]","reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-chapter-344",344,"\u003Cp>The woman moved forward, stopping just a few steps away from us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her white, pupil-less eyes swept over the scene, pausing briefly on Priel's drawn sword before settling on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was she expecting an answer from me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I simply met her gaze in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She asked a question,\" Tyshara reminded, her voice steady as she looked between us. \"Avril? Priel? Explain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hazel-green eyes flickered to me for a brief moment, but she held her tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unsurprisingly, she didn't even glance at Elijah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Priel stepped forward, his bravado faltering under her gaze. \"This… this bastard insulted me! And he—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are all Aljanahs like you?\" I interrupted, glancing at him. \"Or is lying your personal sin? Does it make you stronger?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Priel's face twisted with rage. \"Are you mocking my family?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you stupid?\" I tilted my head. \"I asked a question. When did I ever mock your oh-so-great family?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari's voice was soft, but it carried the weight of a command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Priel clamped his mouth shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to Avril, her expression unreadable. \"Avril. Speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Avril flinched but nodded. \"Priel bumped into Heather and demanded an apology. When Elijah intervened, Priel escalated things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari's gaze shifted to Priel. \"Is this true?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Priel paled. \"I—I was just—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Silence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice didn't rise, but it was enough to chill one down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Priel's fingers twitched around his sword, his gaze darting to Tyshara—only to be met with an unforgiving stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari stepped forward, her kimono trailing against the floor. \"You drew a weapon in my home.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Priel swallowed. \"I—I didn't mean—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will apologize,\" she said, her voice leaving no room for debate. \"To Heather. To Elijah. And to Himmel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Priel's jaw tightened, but he gave a stiff nod. \"I… apologize.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari's gaze didn't waver. \"Now leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Priel shot me a final glare before turning on his heel, his grip still tight around his sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Avril hesitated, glancing at me before following him, her shoulders slumped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari turned to Elijah and Heather. \"My apologies for the disruption. Please, enjoy your stay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elijah nodded, his expression stoic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heather muttered a quiet \"thank you\" before they both retreated down the hallway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left me standing alone with Himari and Tyshara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari's white eyes locked onto mine. \"Himmel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced a smile. \"Lady Uzume. A pleasure to meet you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyshara quickly walked towards me. \"Why have you not been accepting our invitation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head slightly, pretending confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, my gaze flickered to Himari, who stood quietly at the side, watching me with those void-like eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think you're mistaken,\" I said with a polite smile. \"Why would I ever be associated with Aljanah Highbloods—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't need to worry about me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari's voice cut through my words, drawing my attention back to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I already know who you are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed my eyes briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at Tyshara.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't need to stare at your aunt with such cold eyes,\" Himari continued before I could speak. \"It was my mother who insisted, not her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drew in a slow breath. \"I apologize.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyshara's voice wavered. \"That's… hurtful, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned back to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could you look at your family like that?\" she whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm a stranger,\" I replied flatly. \"Especially to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't say such things.\" Her voice turned sharp, almost scolding. \"We have never—and will never—abandon you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at her quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An urge to argue burned in my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To ask where she was when I was living in hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I was dying every day for her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It doesn't matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You complain to family. Not to strangers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll take my leave,\" I said at last, offering a slight bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can't you spare some time?\" Himari asked, making me pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With all due respect, I'm only here to claim my reward.\" I glanced at her. \"I have no interest in being anyone's conversation partner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is a request from the head of the Uzume family to the heir of Segyal Highbloods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze met mine, steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please reconsider.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Refusing now would be equivalent to antagonizing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans are stupid creatures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially high humans with too much pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They tend to hold grudges even for the smallest things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lead the way,\" I said, gesturing to her with my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded. \"Gladly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three minutes of walk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's how long it took to reach her room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come in,\" Himari said as she slid open the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyshara and I followed her inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, it wasn't just my room, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari's room was just as simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No extravagant decorations, nothing that screamed power or status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just clean wooden walls, a few old paintings, and a beautifully crafted bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please, have a seat.\" She gestured toward a mat on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sat down herself, picking up a pair of knitting needles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyshara followed suit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you doing?\" I asked as I lowered myself onto the mat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Knitting a sweater for my son,\" Himari replied, her hands moving skillfully. \"And teaching Tyshara how to make one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her son, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That fucking manipulative bitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worst of the Uzume bloodline, and that says a lot, considering the number of twisted people in this family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where is he?\" I asked. \"Haven't seen him around.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's training in Lumina,\" she answered without looking up. \"The academy wasn't enough for him. He's too talented to stay there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded, unimpressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to Tyshara. \"Are you making one for Killian?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled. \"Yes. He once asked me to.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lifting the half-finished sweater, she added, \"Knitting isn't exactly my thing, but it's the least I can do for him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a quiet chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quite the contrast between how she treats Killian and Elijah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Has your mother ever made anything for you?\" Himari asked, still focused on her knitting. \"Esmeray was quite skilled at it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She... forgot as time passed,\" I replied, forcing a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyshara sighed softly. \"I still remember our first meeting. You looked just like her—back when she had purple hair.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't compare me with her.\" I scoffed, trying not to yell at her. \"I don't like it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Right.\" She chuckled nervously, her shoulders slumping down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How did you even become the daughter-in-law of the Aljanah family?\" Himari asked, looking at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If my memory serves me correctly, aren't you from the Kandam continent?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's... uh, complicated,\" she whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari gave her a sideways glance. \"I'm listening.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Tyshara seemed unsure whether to speak. Then, after a long sigh, she finally did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When I was seventeen, I was kidnapped and taken to a castle rooftop, a rope tied around my neck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind buzzed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew this story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It happened in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was a princess of a small kingdom in Kandam,\" she continued, her voice distant. \"A perfect hostage for the enemy we were at war with.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small, nostalgic smile tugged at her lips before she turned to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's when I met your uncle.\" Her voice softened. \"He saved me… along with his best friend. The man I admired.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'....'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ragnar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In my teenage years, I dreamed of marrying him,\" she whispered, fingers pausing briefly over the yarn. \"But then, I realized something—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That he was surrounded by many women,\" Himari finished for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyshara nodded. \"Unlike him, Sir Jolis was different. He was kind, reserved, and considerate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled under my breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew my uncle well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn't kind out of goodwill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was his sin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just doing what he hated the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your uncle wanted an artifact that had been in my family's possession for centuries,\" Tyshara continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My father saw an opportunity and offered him a deal—marry me, and he could have it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And he accepted?\" I asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He did.\" She let out a quiet laugh. \"And I hated him for it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As you should,\" Himari commented, never stopping her knitting. \"No woman wants to be treated as a mere transaction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I couldn't love him for a long time because of that,\" Tyshara said, forcing a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But when Killian was born, I started to. And when Avril came into our lives, that love only grew stronger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smile faded from her lips, replaced by a hollow expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everything was fine until one day—he brought home an infant boy… and then vanished, leaving us behind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her gaze to meet mine, her moist eyes holding back tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A week after he was born, Elijah Vukasin came down with a terrible fever.\" Her voice grew colder. \"The doctors said he wouldn't survive the night.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She placed the half-knitted sweater on the floor and bowed her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Himari stopped knitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was a terrible person,\" she whispered, gripping the fabric between her fingers. \"That whole night, I prayed to all five gods… for him to die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fists clenched on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened to her was cruel, yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she had no right to take it out on a helpless child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your prayers didn't work,\" I said, my voice coming out like a taunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I swore that if he survived, I would love him. I'd give him my name. Be his mother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And yet you did none of it,\" I said, pushing myself up from the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just couldn't,\" she admitted, looking up at me. \"I couldn't bring myself to love a motherless child.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could she hate an innocent child that much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she have any idea what Elijah had suffered—because of her neglect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I guess what they say about your family is true.\" My voice dropped into a whisper. \"The only good Aljanah… is a dead one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned, ready to leave. But then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard about your lovers from Avril,\" she said softly, making me pause. \"How you loved a girl even when you had a fiancée.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced back. \"What about it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do yourself a favor.\" Her voice was firm now. \"Choose one woman and marry her. It will save many people from misery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry about me, Aunt,\" I said, smiling brightly at her. \"I won't love a girl who would hate an innocent child.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tyshara just stared at me in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You'll regret it, Himmel.\" She lowered her gaze. \"No woman can stand watching the man she loves with someone else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I knew she wasn't lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing between Christina and Shyamal is impossible for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'....Please shut up.' I sighed and shifted my gaze toward Himari, who had been sitting quietly all this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don't have anything to say?\" I asked, turning to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari rose gracefully, adjusting her kimono before bowing deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you for saving my daughter's life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scoffed. \"I don't need your damn apology.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Himari straightened, her pupil-less eyes locking onto mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I regret not being able to help her. And I will carry the shame of losing her until Amaterasu devours this world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shut my eyes and exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without another word, I turned and left the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were so many things I could've asked—so many things I could've said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like what Tyshara would do if her indifference led to something irreversible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But honestly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some futures weren't worth discussing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah. When the second core of the game began, it wasn't Esmeray or Ragnar who destroyed the Aljanah family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Elijah.\u003C\u002Fp>",1904,"2026-06-05T21:29:08.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","783db78f54bc625a36b6dcd4ffd203990fc0a932bd1b95f3a474072faf1fbdda","reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-chapter-345","reincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-chapter-343",556,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Freincarnated-as-the-villainess-s-son-cover.jpg"]